What a difference a year makes.
On Aug. 30, the Cowboys took the field for the first time this season at War Memorial Stadium against the Montana Grizzlies in an old-school style football game.
Wyoming’s Head Coach Craig Bohl lead the UW Cowboys to a 17-12 win during his debut game against the Grizzlies with both a strong rushing attack and stifling defense.
In the fourth quarter to close the game out, Bohl heavily relied on rushing, with only one passing attempt for the entire quarter. This is a complete 180-degree turn from former Head Coach Dave Christensen’s style of play.
“There’s no style points in football,” Bohl said of his sticking with the running game late in the game. Between starting Junior Running Back Shaun Wick and Redshirt Sophomore DJ May, the ‘Cowboy Ambush’ combined for 230 yards on 35 carries, and each with a rushing touchdown. Wick punched in a five-yard touchdown to put the Cowboys up 10-6, and May delivered the knockout blow with a 58-yard touchdown run.
“Honestly I couldn’t believe it at first, there was so much open field. There was no one around,” May said about the touchdown.
Part of Bohl’s scheme for the game was the Cowboys’ reduction in passing.
“That’s part of who we are, where we play field position football,” Bohl said.
Redshirt Senior Colby Kirkegaard was given the reigns over the offense at the line of scrimmage where he was allowed to make adjustments up until the final moments of the play clock.
“Coach told me not to worry about a shrinking play clock and if it gets too close just to burn a timeout, that’s what I’m suppose to do,” Kirkegaard said after calling a timeout and before taking a delay of game penalty. The quarterback also owned up to his mistakes after the game, throwing one pick in the redzone. “It was a stick-n-nod route by the tight end that I should have flown out of the back of the end zone.”
Wyoming also dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. May gave credit to his offensive line in front of him.
“It’s a battle for them every snap. They make a hole for us and it’s [Wick’s] and mine’s job to find it and run through it,” May said.
The defensive line also created pressure on Montana Quarter Back Jordan Johnson most of the day and penetrated the rushing attack, allowing only 42 rushing yards—the fewest since 2008. Junior Defensive End Eddie Yarbrough said that “those guys inside were work horses. It makes it easier for us.”
Senior linebacker Mark Nzeocha led the team with 12 tackles, including one sack, and was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week. Nzeocha surprised himself a little on the sack when he “just blitzed the A-gap and all of a sudden I was in the backfield.”
The Cowboys not only had to face adversity on the field, being down 6-3 for most of the second and third quarters, but the weather also encroached with two different lightning delays. Coach Bohl said that “it’s something that I’ve never been apart of but I guess many people out here are accustomed to it.”
On the players’ side, Yarbrough said that “it’s a time to make adjustments and get refocused.” Wyoming never seemed to lose a step after either delay, especially since another delay was added to the end of halftime, prolonging the break.
The Cowboys now turn their attention to the Air Force Falcons team that was beat last year by Wyoming 56-23 in Colorado Springs.
“They [are] coming back stronger than last year and we [have] got to be ready,” Nzeocha said.
Bohl hopes to see War Memorial 25,000+ strong again. “It’s not a decision to come to the War—it’s a commitment.”
